As it's July 4th, Leopardstown have titled this afternoon's meeting as "America Raceday". However, for hardened punters, the £10,000 Jackpot guarantee may concentrate the mind more, and take it off the prospect of American line dancing which is planned for after racing!
The two trainers who can aid that process are John Oxx and John Mulhern, who look to have the ammunition to win the Jackpot races.
Oxx's Storm Bird colt, Keriyoun, can make it third time lucky in the Fitzone Maiden, while his newcomer, Compere, won't have to be anything ultraspecial to make a winning debut in the Strathmore Maiden.
The Denny Handicap and the Gateway Handicap look altogether more competitive, and in the latter, Mulhern's Amontillado is taken to regain winning form.
Twice a winner over seven furlongs here already this season, Amontillado was a beaten favourite at Dundalk last time but was hampered at an early stage of that race and could never get back into it. That run is best ignored and his style or racing should enable him to be just as effective over Leopardstown's 10 furlongs as the seven.
Mulhern's Maytpleasethecourt is equally happy over a variety of distances and ran an encouraging race at the Curragh last weekend when fourth to Forget About It. At his best, the five-year-old should play a major part against the likes of Cambodian and Free To Speak.
At Naas tomorrow, there's a £5,186 Jackpot carry over, and one horse who will be a banker for many in the Kill Handicap will be the hat-trick-seeking Golden Rule, who is napped to win for Frances Crowley and Pat Smullen.
This Emarati colt followed up an easy Ballinrobe win with an equally easy defeat of Balla Sola at the Curragh last weekend and looks a type that may not have stopped improving just yet. He looks up to beating Graduated and Bolino Star.
It can be a very good afternoon for Curragh trainers, as Dermot Weld's Familiar Quest should be up to winning the opener and Kevin Prendergast's Storm Cove looks impossible to oppose in the Goffs Race. Precious Rule can take the fillies' maiden for Charles O'Brien, while John Oxx's Outspoken is preferred to Weld's Hibernian Rhapsody in the two-runner last.
